Conventional furnished labeling units for labeling articles such as beverage containers, bottles, cans or the like are provided with several components, which are positioned on a common mounting plane which forms a machine base. Thus, a relatively space-taking construction method and a relatively poor accessibility to the respective component result from this which complicates maintenance and cleaning operation.
Thus, DE 202 21 208 U1 therefore proposes that merely transport elements for feeding the articles to the carrousel and for withdrawing the articles from the carrousel are positioned on a common table plate while the real carrousel for the treatment of the articles during the furnishing process is separately installed on a supporting frame with its pivot bearing on the periphery of the table plate. The respective components of the apparatus designed in a compact way are in this embodiment furthermore easily accessible for maintenance and cleaning operations.
The flexibility with the positioning of furnishing units such as labeling units can be furthermore increased by positioning these components on a furnishing reception separated from the carrousel, wherein the furnishing reception can be flexibly arrangeable if necessary such as proposed in DE 10 2004 054 057 A1. At least, one stationary floor-supported furnishing reception is arranged on the periphery of the carrousel, by what a quick and precise change of any labeling units shall be made possible. During the positioning of the apparatus the furnishing reception is to be adjusted once exactly in a relative manner to the carrousel and the transport level of the furnished articles respectively. The furnishing reception, which is fixed firmly to the floor, can be adjusted to the circumstances existing at the production site. Besides, the furnishing reception is adjustable so that a continuously variable alignment of the furnishing reception relatively to the carrousel with reference to the necessary height and/or the radial distance and/or the slant to the transport level is given.
An even more increasing flexibility with the positioning of the apparatus and with its furnishing can be obtained by a variable connection of different labeling units for different labeling methods such as proposed in WO 03/024861 A1. Hereby, different labeling units are in each case provided for the different labeling methods such as labeling with self-adhesive labels, labeling with hot glue, labeling with cold glue etc. In this way it shall be made possible to apply different labels on different types of bottles with one and the same central conveying unit. Besides, it is possible to apply different labeling types on one and the same bottle. By means of the modular construction of the labeling unit it is furthermore possible to provide different labeling methods for different products since by exchanging a labeling unit another labeling type can be provided in another labeling method. Both labeling unit and conveying unit are provided in each case with a control unit in order to control the respective conveying movements. When changing the labeling unit, the respective controls are changed over to the desired labeling mode.
In a further embodiment of such a modular constructed treating apparatus for containers and articles, EP 1 706 322 B1 proposes to furnish the labeling units with identification data, for example in the form of an electronic type identification. Besides, the conveyor unit and the labeling unit are designed in such a way that the identification data of the labeling unit can be transmitted from the labeling unit to the conveying unit. Thereby, at least a portion of the necessary configuration data of the conveying unit and the labeling unit can be automatically exchanged when changing the labeling unit.